Atlanta United kickoff their inaugural Major League Soccer season in 2017 and are well underway with preparations, selling more than 22,000 season tickets, an MLS record for an expansion team.
The number of season tickets sold would put them second behind the Seattle Sounders in MLS currently, a fantastic achievement for a team that's yet to kick a ball.
Proving to be a Soccer City
The record sale for season tickets surpasses the MLS attendance average and things are looking good for Major League Soccer's newest franchise. Atlanta has often been doubted as a city that can support a soccer team successfully but have recently proven they are well on their way to forming a strong fanbase.
The signings of Hector "Tito" Villalba and Kenwyne Jones have proven to be hits with the Atlanta supporters already and with plenty of time left to bring in more key players, the city is behind the club and they are moving ahead efficiently. There are just seven players listed on Atlanta's roster and no head coach but the growing fanbase is showing plenty of support for the team and committing to them.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The stadium that Atlanta United will call home, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will hold around 71,000 seats but the MLS side are only expected to utilize 29,000 of the capacity for their home games. With over 22,000 season tickets sold, Atlanta are already close to filling the capacity ahead of their debut campaign, even if the stadium is far from finished.
Atlanta United President Darren Eales, formerly of Tottenham and West Brom, mentioned the possibility of opening the upper deck in a few games during the inaugural season but for the majority of the season, mechanical curtains will cover the portions of the stadium not in use.
The future looks bright in Atlanta and the numbers are impressive for a city that many showed little faith in. With an incredible amount of support already, Atlanta United's debut season in Major League Soccer is set to be a hit.